[LCM Articles] Four Days that changed the Middle East

[Mohamad El-Husseini]

Patrick,
 
I would be remiss not to direct your attention to a graphic video the contents of which I advise against viewing. If you are not familiar, it captures the gruesome torture and murder of 10 SSNP members in Halba. In addition to being tortured as they took their dying breaths, their limbs were hacked and their bodies left to the disposal of their murderers, who wasted no time indulging in gratuitous gore. Not only is this reminiscent of what happened in Nahr El Bared, but it should cast a doubt on the theory that one side prefers dialog to the other.
 
I condemn HA's actions, and their use of force was criminal and irresponsible. But it has not gone unanswered, even if the balance of power leans heavily to one side: the route of government partisans is not indicative of their preference for dialog. They were over-powered. 
 
To quote a friend, "a semi-government that lacks the representation of one of Lebanon's major sects, whose legitimacy and constitutionality are seriously questioned, in the midst of internal turmoil, in the heat of daily Israeli threats of a new war on HA and Lebanon, weeks after the assassination of HA's military commander, against the advise of the army command, in the absence of a president and in its final dying hours, takes the unprecedented step of outlawing HA's communication network, fully aware of the sensitivity of the issue."

Finally, at risk of offending people, none of Lebanon's traditional parties ever preferred dialog had they a to use violence. The illustrious history of our political class and 18 years of butchery by the same people who rule today speaks for itself...
 
The war never ended, it was just bandaged and the binds are loosening once more.
> Date: Wed, 14 May 2008 15:26:44 -0400> From: patrickz at MIT.EDU> To: dimanajjar at gmail.com> CC: lebanon-articles at MIT.EDU> Subject: Re: [LCM Articles] Four Days that changed the Middle East> > Rima,> A quick comment on the fresh view you mentioned.> First, I had a chance to listen to Rami Khoury talk at the Kennedy School of> Government at Harvard last year, and I have to say that Rami is very much a> Hizballah apologist. While he tried to portray himself as neutral and discuss> both sides of the conflict, it was very apparent what his political sentiments> were.> As such, I would very much take the article with a grain of salt. While> Hizballah did achieve a military victory of some sorts, I believe that it lost> something much more valuable, the respect of all non-shiite Lebanese who now> see it as an instrument of Iran, Syria, and Shiite dominance.> I believe the government made a key decision not to deploy its opwn gunmen or> the Internal Security Forces (ISF) who number in the 10,000 and are > composed of> mainly Sunni and Christian. That would have put a strong counter attack to> Hizballah, at the expense of starting a new civil war. Fortunately some (i.e.> NOT March 8) are still committed to the principles of negotiation through> dialogue, not violence.> Where this will take us, I don't know. While this is part of a U.S. vs. Iran> power play (as the Hizballah likes to portray it), it is also an Iran > vs. Saudi> Arabia play (Shiite vs. Sunni) and another effort by Syria to remain relevant,> regain influence in Lebanon and retain its tool of applying pressure on Israel> to get the Golan's back.> Let's be realistic when we talk about this situation. It's about people with> guns who don't want to give up their guns, and want to be the big boys and the> bullies of the block.> I welcome your thoughts and opinions on the matter!> ciao> Patrick> > > > Quoting Dima Najjar <dimanajjar at gmail.com>:> > > A fresh view..> >> >> > Click the following to access the sent link:> >> > Four days that changed the Middle East> > <http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?article_ID=91914&categ_ID=5&edition_id=10>> >> >> > Or copy and paste the following link in your browser address bar:> >> >> > <http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?article_ID=91914&categ_ID=5&edition_id=10>> >> > http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?article_ID=91914&categ_ID=5&edition_id=10> >> >> >> > *> > *> >> > *Abstract:*> >> > Events in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon continue to move erratically,> > with simultaneous gestures of political compromise and armed clashes that> > have left 46 dead in the past week. The consequences of what has happened in> > the past week may portend an extraordinary but constructive new development:> >> >> >> > --> > Dima Najjar> > +97150 413 4343> >> > > _______________________________________________> Lebanon-Articles mailing list> Lebanon-Articles at mit.edu> http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/lebanon-articles
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